RobotStudiotm 6.

05
Modeling
 The information in this manual is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a
commitment by ABB. ABB assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this manual.
Except as may be expressly stated anywhere in this manual, nothing herein shall be construed as any
kind of guarantee or warranty by ABB for losses, damages to persons or property, fitness for a specific
purpose or the like.
In no event shall ABB be liable for incidental or consequential damages arising from use of this manual
and products described herein.

This manual and parts thereof must not be reproduced or copied without ABB's written permission, and
contents thereof must not be imparted to a third party nor be used for any unauthorized purpose.
Contravention will be prosecuted.
Additional copies of this manual may be obtained from ABB at its
then current charge.

© Copyright 2017 ABB All right reserved.

ABB AB
Robotics Products
SE-721 68
Västerås Sweden

2017-05-05 ABB
 Table of Contents

1. Modeling ....................................................................................................... 4
1.1. Building the Station ............................................................................................ 4
1.2. Creating a Mechanism ..................................................................................... 10
1.3. Importing the Fixture and Working with Part Geometry .................................... 20
1.4. Creating an Alternate Handed fixture and Part.................................................23
1.5. Finish the Cell Layout....................................................................................... 25
1.6. Mirror Path ....................................................................................................... 25

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1. Modeling
Overview
In this module we will expand on working with geometry, and also create a mechanism. We
will create a robot cell for deburring a motor housing and then duplicate it in order to do an
opposite handed version of the same part.

Unpack
Use Unpack&Work to open the Pack&Go file DeburrHousingStation.rspag from the
Courseware > Stations folder. Unpack it to a new folder
\Courseware\Solutions\Module_4\myDeburrSolution.

1.1. Building the Station

Overview
Here we will start by building a station and later import geometry and assemble them into a
working mechanism. This mechanism could later be used as the basis for a smart component.

1. Import the geometry file 140_ stand.sat from the Courseware \Geometry folder.
2. The next step is to put the robot on the stand. To do this in RobotStudio we will move the
“Task Frame”. This moves the robot system around within the RobotStudio environment
without affecting the controller base frame values.

Tip!
The snap mode and selection level tools can be extremely useful when working with
geometry. In this case we can set the selection level to surface and click on the top of the
riser. In the coordinates output (bottom right corner of the screen) we can see the height of
the top of the riser is 530mm.

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Moving the Task Frame

1. Right click on the system in the Paths&Targets browser and select Task Frames in
order to bring up the Modify Task Frames dialog box.
2. Enter the value previously determined (Z=530mm). Click Apply.

3. As you do not want to change the relationship between the controller and the base frame
answer Yes to the question “Do you also want to move the Base Frames(s)”?

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Importing and Attaching a Tool

1. Import the library SpindleTool.rslib from the Courseware\Library folder.

2. Attach the tool to the robot by drag and dropping it on the robot in the Layout Browser
or right clicking on it and selecting Attach to. Answer “YES” to update the position of
the SpindleTool.

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Import and Adjust the Fence

3. Import the library SC_FenceCreatorYellow.rslib from the Courseware \Library folder.
This fence is a Smart Component with the ability to change the lengths of the walls
dynamically to suit your station. You will also need to select yes to trust this component
when you get a pop up window asking you to verify the smart component.

4. Start by setting the position of the fence. Right click on the fence in the Layout Browser
and select Set Position.

5. In the dialog box enter X= -500, Y= -1000, Z=0 and leave zeros in the orientation fields.
Press Apply.

6. Right click once again on the fence in the Layout Browser and select Properties. This
will bring up a dialog box where you can change the length of the various fence walls.

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7. Enter the values as shown in the chart below. Click Apply.

8. Import the IRC5 Single Cabinet controller from the Equipment Library. Set its position as
follows.

9. In the Modeling Tab select solid box. We will create a box to represent a concrete floor.

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10. For the size and position of the box enter data as follows and click :

11. Right click on the new part in the Layout Browser and rename it “floor”.

12. Right click on the “floor” in Layout Browser and select Modify > Graphic
Appearance.

13. In the Base Texture drop down, select Import.

14. Browse to the Courseware\Textures folder and open the file named concrete floor.png.

15. Click on OK. You will now see a concrete texture on the floor.

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16. Save the station as myDeburrStation_1 in

\Courseware\Solutions\Module_4\myDeburrSolution\Stations.

1.2. Creating a Mechanism

Overview
Here we will import geometry and assemble them into a working mechanism.
This mechanism could later be used as the basis for a smart component.

Preparations
With MyDeburrStation_1 still open, make things easier to see. Begin by hiding the objects in
the robot cell.
This could be done by right clicking on the individual items in the Layout Browser and
unchecking Visible for each component.

In this case we will take advantage of the “Tag” function.

Create a New Tag

1. Right click on the IRB140T_6_81_C_03 and select Tags>New Tag.

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2. Right click on Tag_1 and rename it to Deburr_Cell1. Note that you are automatically
taken to the Tags browser.

3. Add the stand, tool, fence and controller to this same tag.
4. Right click on the Debell_Cell1 tag and make it invisible.

Notice how all of the items no longer appear in the list of components under the
Layout browser. This can be a very effective tool to simplify this view when working
with stations containing a large number of components. When the tag is made visible
again the items will show in the browser.

Import Geometries

1. Import the geometry SlideFrame.sat from the Courseware folder.

2. Import the geometry Slide.sat from the Couseware folder.

Mount the Slide on the Slide Frame

1. Switch to the Modeling Tab.

2. If you expand the SlideFrame in the Modeling Browser you will notice the part is
made up of a series of bodies. What we would like to do here is hide the body that
represents the end plate on the SlideFrame.

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3. In the Graphics Window set the Selection Level to Body.

4. Reorient yourself in the Graphics Window so you can see the end plate closest to the
RobotStudio zero position. Right click on the graphic and make the body invisible.

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We will now use the Place function to place the Slide on the SlideFrame.

5. In the graphics window change the Selection Level to Surface and the Snap Mode to
Center.

6. In the Modeling Browser right click on the Slide and select Position>Place by Two
Points.

Tip!
The dialog box is designed such that it “deactivates” when other activity is detected
(such as reorientation or zooming in/out in the Graphics Window). It is done this way
to ensure that unwanted selections are not made. Once a view has been reoriented in the
Graphics Window the curser needs to be placed back in the field you wish to populate
with a selection.

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7. Zoom in on the Slide in the Graphics Window so that the holes on the ends of the
tubes can be viewed.

8. Place the cursor in the X-value of the Primary Point of the Place Object dialog box
and then snap to the center of the hole on the part in the Graphics Window. The
values should populate as shown.

9. Reorient the view as shown and similarly select the end of the tube and the place
point. A red line will connect the two points and be labeled as From and To.

10. Repeat this same procedure for the Point on X-Axis.

11. Click Apply.

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12. The result should have the Slide placed on the ends of the tubes on the SlideFrame.

13. Close the dialog box, unhide the end plate and save the station as myDeburrStation_2.

Creating a Mechanism

1. Open the station myDeburrStation_2 if not already opened and switch to the
Modeling Tab.

2. Use the measurement tool to determine the travel distance of the slide. (Hint. Use the
selection level Surface and snap level End along with the minimum distance tool.)

3. Click on the Create Mechanism icon to open up the wizard.

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4. In the wizard, name the mechanism “mySlide” and change the type to Device. Notice
how the different node requirements change below (in red and green) based upon the
type of mechanism you are creating. Anything in red needs to be validated before a
mechanism can be successfully created. Even though it is not required we will create
a frame so there is an attachment point for any fixture or part we may want to add
later.

Adding Links
1. To make our device we need two links. A base link and a moving link. Right click on
Links and click on Add Link... to open up the window below.

2. Select the SlideFrame and click on the right arrow to add it to the Added
Components column.

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3. Check the box Set as BaseLink Click Apply but do not close the dialog box.

4. Next select the Slide and click on the right arrow to add it to the Added Components
column.

5. Click OK.

6. The result should be that the links node has turned green and the two links are shown
below.

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Adding a Joint
To make our device work we need to define the joint between the two links.

7. As we did to add the links, right click on the joint node and select Add Joint….

8. Populate the fields as shown below.

Tip!
Note that Prismatic refers to linear motion.

The travel axis for the joint is defined by placing a positive integer in the desired field. In
this case a 1 in the X place holder makes the slide move along the X axis. This is
represented by the green indicator bar that appears on the floor.
Test this by jogging the slider to verify the direction. Before pressing apply try adding
values in the other fields and note the behavior and orientation of the green indicator.
For joint limits these values determine the amount and direction of travel along the axis
defined above. A negative value will change the direction of travel.

9. Once the fields are correct click Ok.

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Adding a Frame
A frame will create an attachment point for any fixture, part, etc. that we may wish to attach
to the slide in the future.

1. Right click on the Frames node and select Add Frame to bring up the dialog box as
shown below. Use selection level Surface and snap mode Center to select the center of
the top of the slide as the frame reference point. Click on OK.

Compiling the Mechanism

You will notice from the previous step that the Mechanism Modeler is still open. We will
now compile the mechanism.
1. Click on the button Compile Mechanism to build the mechanism.
2. Close the Mechanism Modeler.
3. Test your mechanism by right clicking on it in the Layout Browser and opening up the
Mechanism Joint Jog. Move the slider back and forth to test it.

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4. Save your mechanism as a library item by right clicking on it in the Layout Browser
and then selecting Save As Library.

10. Save the station as myDeburrStation_3.

1.3. Importing the Fixture and Working with Part Geometry

Overview
In the next steps we will import a fixture, attach it to our mechanism and then place a part in
the fixture.
1. Open MyDeburrStation_3 (if not already open).
2. Set the position of the mechanism mySlide to X= 475, Y= -180, Z=0 (no rotation).

3. Import the geometry fixture.sat from the Courseware \Geometry folder.

4. Attach the fixture to the slide by right clicking on it in the Layout Browser and
selecting Attach to and select the mySlide mechanism. Answer Yes to the question “Do
you want to update the position of fixture”. Notice how the fixture snaps to the frame we
created on the mechanism in the last exercise.

5. Next import the geometry gasket.sat from the Courseware \Geometry folder.
6. Save the station as myDeburrStation_4.

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Place the Part in the Fixture

In this section we will place the part into the fixture. We will use the 3 point placement
method to put the part in the fixture. This is a powerful tool that can assist in the assembly of
CAD data that comes from different sources in different orientations. The reason for the three
point placement is that the first point gives us the displacement while the second and third
points align the part in the X and Y axis respectively.

1. Freehand Move the part so that is above and near the middle of the fixture.

2. Next we want to open up the Place dialog box By Three Points and use selection level
Surface and snap mode End to assist in the placement.

Tip! Refer to the two position placement that was done in chapter 1.2.
Also ensure that the bottom surface of the gasket sits on the top surface of the fixture
plate.
3. The result after placement should look like the following.

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4. Save the station as myDeburrStation_5.

Create the Casting

Since all we have now is a gasket for the casting we will use some modeling functions to not
only create a part from the gasket but to also create an alternate handed part.
1. Switch over to the Modeling Tab and click on Extrude Surface.

2. Select the face of the gasket and type in 150mm as height (Z-axis) for the part in the To
Point. Also ensure the Make Solid box is checked. Click Create.

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3. Notice that a new part is created in the Layout Browser. Rename it to

“motor_housing”.
4. Attach the part to the fixture by right clicking in the browser and selecting Attach to >
fixture. Keep the current position of the motor_housing.

5. Delete the part “gasket”.

6. Save the station as myDeburrStation_6.

1.4. Creating an Alternate Handed fixture and Part

Overview
In the next steps we will use more modeling tools to make an alternate handed part and
fixture.
1. Import a second “mySlide” from the Courseware \Library folder.
2. Import a second “fixture” from the Courseware \Geometry folder.
3. We will now mirror the fixture_2. Right click on fixture_2 in the Layout Browser and
select Mirror. Select the YZ plane.

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4. A new part will be created. Rename it to m_fixture and delete fixture_2.

5. Attach the new mirrored fixture to the second slide mechanism. (mySlide_2).
6. Save the station as myDeburrStation_7.

Creating a Mirrored Part

1. Right click on the motor_housing in the Layout Browser and select Mirror. Select the
YZ plane.

2. This will create a new part. Rename it to m_motor_housing.

3. Free Hand move the part to the vicinity of the newly mirrored fixture.

4. Use Place to place the part correctly on the mirrored fixture.

5. Attach the mirrored part and mirrored fixture to the second slide mechanism ensuring
that they can be moved/placed in the station all as one unit.
6. Save the station as myDeburrStation_8.

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1.5. Finish the Cell Layout

Overview
In the next steps we will finish the cell layout by repositioning the second slide and then
adding a second robot, tool, fence and cabinet.
1. Set the position of mySlide_2 to the following coordinates:
X=1800, Y=1500, Z=0 RX=0, RY=0, RZ= -90
2. Import a second 140_ stand.sat and set its position to the following coordinates:
X=2000, Y=2000, Z=0 RX=0, RY=0, RZ= -90
3. Change the Deburr_Cell1 Tag to visible.
4. Copy FenceCreatorYellow in the Layout Browser and set its position to the
following coordinates:
X=1000, Y=2500, Z=0 RX=0, RY=0, RZ= -90
5. From the ABB Library import a second IRB140_5_81_01 robot and set its positon to the
following coordinates:
X=2000, Y=2000, Z=530 RX=0, RY=0, RZ= -90
6. Create a new robot system with System From Layout for the second robot.

Hint: Search “system from layout” in the RobotStudio help file for instructions on
different ways to bring systems into a station. Note that you will need to deselect the two
slides in the Mechanisms dialog when creating the system.

7. Import a second SpindleTool and attach it to the second robot.

8. Save the station as myDeburrStation_9.

1.6. Mirror Path

Overview
In the next steps we will mirror a path made from the geometry motor_housing, so it fits the
part m_motor_housing. Then we will transfer the mirrored path to the second robot.

Creating a Mirror Plane Frame

When we mirror the path we need to define a “mirror plane”. This plane must be placed in the
center of the part motor_housing. Therefore we will create a Frame in this position.
1. Select selection level Surface and snap mode Mid.
2. In the Home Tab click on Create Frame.

3. Create a frame at the mid of the left side edge on the part motor_housing, as on the picture
below:

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Mirroring the Path

1. Synchronize the procedure DeburrPath from the system IRB140_deburr to the station (or
create your own path with help of AutoPath).
2. Right click on the path in the Paths&Targets browser and select Path>Mirror Path

3. Select Mirror Plane Y-Z and Reference Selected Frame.., select the frame made in the
previous step and click on Show (now should the mirror plane be displayed at the center of
the part).
4. Check Keep Orientation and click Apply.

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Moving the Mirrored Path to the Second System

1. Select the path mDeburrPath in the first system and click on Move to Task – your second
system in the Path Tools-Modify menu. Answer Yes at the question about reposition the
targets, and Yes to All at the question about use existing workobject.

2.

3. The resulting path in the new system should look like this.

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4. Modify the work object and set its position on the corner of the fixture so that the path lines up with the
part.

5. Delete all targets with the prefix m_ in the first system.

6. Use Auto Configuration to define new configurations in the mirrored path.
7. Synchronize the path to the Virtual Controller.
8. Set up a simulation in Simulation Setup so that both robots run.
9. Save the station as myDeburrStation_10.
10. Save the station as a Pack and Go file.

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© Copyright 2017 ABB All right reserved.

ABB AB
Robotics Products
SE-721 68 Västerås
Sweden

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